At the annual meeting of the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA), which took place on 10-11 May 2023 in Luxembourg, 14 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe were under regular evaluation as part of the 2022-2023 certification cycle. The Governing Board of the EPA has renewed the certification of 13 Routes. One Route will undergo an exceptional evaluation during the 2023-2024 evaluation cycle.
The Secretariat would like to congratulate all the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe whose certification was renewed in 2023:
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 1993
European Route of Jewish Heritage
"Council of Europe Cultural Route certified since 2004
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2005
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2005
TRANSROMANICA – The Romanesque Routes of European Heritage
"Certified Council of Europe Cultural Route since 2007
"Council of Europe Cultural Route certified since 2015
European routes of Emperor Charles V
"Council of Europe certified Cultural Route since 2015
In the footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2015
Roman emperors and Danube wine Route
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2015
Iron Curtain Trail - Eurovelo 13
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2019
European Route of Industrial Heritage
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2019
Le Corbusier Destinations: Architectural promenades
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2019
"Council of Europe Cultural Route" certified since 2019
In order to be certified as a “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe”, Cultural Routes must satisfy a list of criteria as established in the Committee of Ministers Resolution CM/Res(2013)67. After being awarded certification, Cultural Routes are regularly required to submit a report enabling the EPA Governing Board to evaluate their activities in order to ascertain whether they continue to satisfy the eligibility criteria for themes, list of priority fields of action, list of criteria for networks as well as visibility criteria. Networks whose evaluation results are not satisfactory must undergo an exceptional evaluation.
During the 2022-2023 certification cycle, the Via Charlemagne and the European Route of Cistercian Abbeys were subject to an exceptional evaluation. At its meeting on 10 and 11 May 2023, the EPA Governing Board examined both routes with the purpose of deciding on the renewal of their certification as "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe". In view of the lack of compliance with the certification criteria stated in Resolution CM/Res(2013)67, the EPA Governing Board decided to withdraw the certification to both networks.
